1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video conferencing, and more specifically to selecting a video data stream of a video conference to send to a video endpoint associated with a video conference participant, based on parameters representing attributes of each participant in the video conference.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of integrated circuits and computing devices have enabled the digitization of video, and with the expansion of the Internet many technological advancements have been made in the area of video conferencing technology. Particularly, video conferencing technology has been widely adopted by enterprises to provide a collaborative environment that allows an interactive exchange of information via video data streams between computing and display devices of video conference participants (participants) such as, for example, employees, business partners, and customers, some of whom can be at different geographical locations. In addition, video conferencing technology is frequently used in educational settings to allow participants such as students and teachers in different geographical locations to virtually collaborate and share information via a video conference. Thus, a video conference can contain participants that are at the same locations (i.e., local), or a combination of participants that are local and participants that are at different locations. As a result, a local participant in a video conference may not need to view video data streams of other local participants in the video conference. For example, if in a video conference there are at least some local participants each having their own video endpoint, physically located in the same room, and can see each other in person during the video conference, then such local participants may not need to view each video data stream of the video conference.
Current solutions for video conferencing tend to work by merely showing, on a display screen, only the participant designated as the active speaker. However, if only the participant designated as the active speaker is shown, then not all participants can gauge responses of each other via body language, which is frequently needed for effective negotiating. An alternative solution for video conferencing includes showing all participants, wherein the participant designated as the active speaker is shown in a large area of the display screen and all other participants are shown in smaller areas of the display screen. If all participants are shown, then there can be video data streams for certain participants in the video conference that not all participants need to view, for reasons one of which is mentioned above (i.e., certain participants are located in the same room). In addition, in regard to the alternative solution, as the designation of active speaker changes participants can end up moving from one area on the display screen to another area on the display screen, which can cause difficulties for a participant trying to locate and keep track of where another participant is located on the display screen.